North American List Of Potential World Cup Sites Narrowed

Members of the U.S. Men's National Team take a rest during practice in Stanford, California on Wednesday, May 14, 2014. (credit: Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images)

CHICAGO (AP) – Forty-one cities in the United States, Mexico and Canada have submitted preliminary bids to host 2026 World Cup matches.

The North American bid committee said Thursday its proposal will be sent to FIFA in March. The bid is expected to include up to 25 cities. At least 12 cities would ultimately be selected if the FIFA Congress picks the joint bid when it votes in June 2018.

The 2026 World Cup will be the first with a 48-nation field. Morocco said it also intends to bid.

Three sites were dropped from the preliminary list announced last month: Calgary, Alberta; Green Bay, Wisconsin; and San Diego.

Just three stadiums that bid hosted games during the 1994 World Cup: Chicago’s Soldier Field, Dallas’ Cotton Bowl and Orlando, Florida’s Camping World Stadium, formerly known as the Citrus Bowl. Soldier Field underwent a gut renovation in 2002-03.

Two of the sites on the list hosted matches at the 1994 at stadiums that have been replaced with new venues on adjacent land: East Rutherford, New Jersey; and Foxborough; Massachusetts.

Stadiums are required to have at least 40,000 seats for group-stage matches and at least 80,000 for the opening game and final.

Thirty-two areas and 35 stadiums are on the list for the U.S. Canada has six cities and Mexico three. Three stadiums were submitted from the Los Angeles area and two from the Dallas area.

The U.S. would host 60 of 80 games, including all from the quarterfinals on.